1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a synchronized beat notification system for notifying a plurality of players who are playing in synchronization with a common rhythm, such as musicians in an ensemble, a marching band, or synchronized swimmers, of synchronized beats. The present invention also relates to a master device and a slave device for the synchronized beat notification system.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are occasions when a metronome is used by a plurality of players who are playing music or the like in synchronization with a common rhythm. The metronome enables notification of beats with a beat indicator stick performing a swinging movement, the flashing operation of an LED, a clicking sound, or the like. In relation to that, a method has also been proposed in which a tempo signal and a control signal indicative of the initiation timing for the generation of the tempo signal are transmitted to another communication apparatus via communication means, and a musical sound corresponding to the tempo signal is produced in the communication apparatus that has received the tempo signal and the control signal, to thereby notify a plurality of users at different locations of synchronized beats at a steady tempo (see, e.g., JP 2001-154672 A (pp. 5–6, FIGS. 1 to 5)).
However, the conventional metronome has the following problems to be solved:
(1) If visual notification using the beat indicator stick, the flashing operation of the LED, or the like is performed, it is difficult to place a single metronome within sight of every member of an ensemble consisting of a large number of musicians, a marching band composed of moving players, a synchronized swimming team, or the like.
(2) If a metronome is used in a dark environment or under the hot sun, there are cases where the user has difficulty in recognizing display with visual notification using an LCD, an LED, or the like.
(3) If notification is performed by using a clicking sound, a louder sound should be made to notify a player in a wider range of activity, which interferes with the recognition of a sound made by the player. In addition, the propagation time of a sound differs depending on the positional relationship between the main body of a metronome and a player. As the distance therebetween is larger, the difference in propagation time becomes more pronounced to a degree that synchronized beat indication cannot be provided to all the players any more.
The method disclosed in JP 2001-154672 A enables simultaneous notification of beats at a steady tempo to a plurality of players, but still has the following problems.
(1) The method is incapable of displaying beats when the tempo is to be varied freely in tune with a melody or for performance expression. It is operationally possible to change the tempo for each piece of music but the method cannot handle the situation in which the conductor of an orchestra is attempting to subtly vary the tempo to express the mood of a music piece being played.
(2) If a music piece being played has an odd meter and notification of downbeats and upbeats is made with a regular meter, the relationship between the downbeats and the upbeats is disordered in a measure with the odd meter.
(3) If a plurality of players use the function of synchronized beat notification, the procedure of calling a communication partner, establishing a communicational relation therewith, and further selecting a special mode on a communication apparatus in use is necessary so that the use of the function by a large number of players entails intricacy.
(4) Even if beat notifying means is provided for every one of players on a one-by-one basis, it is difficult to place a beat notification system within sight of every one of the players when the players are moving hard on land or in water.
(5) Even if beat notifying means is provided for every one of players on a one-by-one basis, it is hard for the player to recognize aural beat notification in a noisy situation or in water.
(6) The use of the system in water has not been considered in the first place.